diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 6003ded54..bfd636495 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Thanks to @johnseekins!
 
 * BUGFIX: vmagent: properly update `role: endpoints` and `role: endpointslices` scrape targets if the underlying service changes in `kubernetes_sd_config`. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/1240).
 * BUGFIX: vmagent: apply `scrape_timeout` on receiving the first response byte from `stream_parse: true` scrape targets. Previously it was applied to receiving and *processing* the full response stream. This could result in false timeout errors when scrape target exposes millions of metrics as described [here](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/1017#issuecomment-767235047).
+* BUGFIX: vmagent: eliminate possible data race when obtaining value for the metric `vm_persistentqueue_bytes_pending`. The data race could result in incorrect value for this metric.
 * BUGFIX: vmstorage: remove empty directories on startup. Such directories can be left after unclean shutdown on NFS storage. Previously such directories could lead to crashloop until manually removed. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/1142).
 
 
diff --git a/lib/persistentqueue/fastqueue.go b/lib/persistentqueue/fastqueue.go
index 7dda73a86..9c99f2b01 100644
--- a/lib/persistentqueue/fastqueue.go
+++ b/lib/persistentqueue/fastqueue.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package persistentqueue
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/bytesutil"
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/fasttime"
 	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/lib/logger"
+	"github.com/VictoriaMetrics/metrics"
 )
 
 // FastQueue is fast persistent queue, which prefers sending data via memory.
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ func MustOpenFastQueue(path, name string, maxInmemoryBlocks, maxPendingBytes int
 	}
 	fq.cond.L = &fq.mu
 	fq.lastInmemoryBlockReadTime = fasttime.UnixTimestamp()
+	_ = metrics.GetOrCreateGauge(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_persistentqueue_bytes_pending{path=%q}`, path), func() float64 {
+		fq.mu.Lock()
+		n := fq.pq.GetPendingBytes()
+		fq.mu.Unlock()
+		return float64(n)
+	})
 	pendingBytes := fq.GetPendingBytes()
 	logger.Infof("opened fast persistent queue at %q with maxInmemoryBlocks=%d, it contains %d pending bytes", path, maxInmemoryBlocks, pendingBytes)
 	return fq
diff --git a/lib/persistentqueue/persistentqueue.go b/lib/persistentqueue/persistentqueue.go
index 4c082a9f8..474c559a5 100644
--- a/lib/persistentqueue/persistentqueue.go
+++ b/lib/persistentqueue/persistentqueue.go
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ type queue struct {
 
 	blocksRead *metrics.Counter
 	bytesRead  *metrics.Counter
-
-	bytesPending *metrics.Gauge
 }
 
 // ResetIfEmpty resets q if it is empty.
@@ -173,9 +171,6 @@ func tryOpeningQueue(path, name string, chunkFileSize, maxBlockSize, maxPendingB
 	q.bytesWritten = metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_persistentqueue_bytes_written_total{path=%q}`, path))
 	q.blocksRead = metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_persistentqueue_blocks_read_total{path=%q}`, path))
 	q.bytesRead = metrics.GetOrCreateCounter(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_persistentqueue_bytes_read_total{path=%q}`, path))
-	q.bytesPending = metrics.GetOrCreateGauge(fmt.Sprintf(`vm_persistentqueue_bytes_pending{path=%q}`, path), func() float64 {
-		return float64(q.GetPendingBytes())
-	})
 
 	cleanOnError := func() {
 		if q.reader != nil {